Minster rallies past Hornets to win state title

By Colin Foster

COLUMBUS — Minster coach Geron Stokes preached two things to his team all season long: fighting for 48 minutes and competing every down.

Those lessons came in handy on Friday in the program's biggest game in 25 years.

When Kirtland took a 42-33 lead on Adam Hess's three-yard touchdown run with 4:18 left in the Division VI state championship game, it appeared Minster's dream season would end on a sour note ... The "Cardiac Cats" were not ready to accept that; it's not in their DNA.

Evan Huelsman ran for a two-yard touchdown to end an 11-play, 65-yard drive with 1:56 remaining, then kicker Jason Schultz recovered his own onside kick attempt. And quarterback Josh Nixon and receiver Eli Wolf had one more big play in them - a 51-yard scoring completion to put their team in front for the first time since the third quarter.

When Jared Thobe stopped Kirtland quarterback Sam Skiljan on a fourth-and-short, the Minster comeback was complete. The Wildcats captured their first state title since 1989 with a 46-42 win in front of 7,361 fans at Ohio Stadium.

"We feel like our offense is good enough to produce two scores quickly," Stokes said. "We've done that all year, so this isn't anything different ... we'll go score. Make a play, take what you're given, keep executing our stuff and we'll be okay.

"(Nixon) played his tail off tonight. Eli went and made a play late. We have really good skill and our offensive line continued to develop throughout the year and I felt like our offense could score with anybody. We were calm. That's just what we do."

"That onside kick put us in good field position," said Wolf, who finished with nine catches for 146 yards and three touchdowns. "We just ran a simple mesh rout where we came across low. I mean, we had somebody up there looking after us. That's the only thing I could think of honestly."

The Wildcats became the first team to hand the defending state champion Hornets a loss in 29 games. It was Minster's third playoff victory decided by four points or fewer.

"I think over the course of the season, even in the playoffs, that we've had a lot of experience in situations like that," Minster senior Joe Trzaska said. "Anna in Week Nine came down to the wire. Our first-round playoff game and our state semifinal were all as close as they come. We're used to playing under that kind of pressure I guess."

Kirtland rode running back Jacob Boyd down the field on its first series of the game. Boyd's 41-yard carry set up the Hornets at the five-yard line. Moments later, Boyd stormed to the paydirt for a five-yard touchdown with 9:40 to go in the first.

Nixon was intercepted by Matt Grazia on the first play following the score, but the Wildcat defense forced a Kirtland three-and-out. Nixon marched his team into Hornet territory on the next two series. On the first drive, Minster was stopped on a fourth-and-two from the 20 but Bryce Schmiesing got Minster on the scoreboard with a three-yard TD run with 21 seconds left in the first quarter.

Kirtland fumbled on the first play after Schmiesing's touchdown and Hayden Schindler pounced on the ball 10 yards away from the end zone. Nixon and Wolf hooked up for a three-yard touchdown on the first play following the turnover.

The Hornets drove in Minster terrain on their next series, but the drive came to an abrupt end. Skiljan kept the chains moving with a 23-yard completion to Matthew Finkler on a third-and-20. But Jacob Dues came up with a key stop on a third-and-six and then Skiljan threw an incompletion on the next play after being harassed by the Minster defensive line.

Skiljan and Finkler, however, got their redemption soon after.

Minster traveled into Hornet territory on the ensuing drive, but it ended when Nixon was intercepted by Finkler with 4:44 left in the half. The game was an offensive shootout from that point on.

On the fourth play following the pick, Skiljan found a wide-open Finlker for a 48-yard touchdown to give Kirtland back the lead.

Minster's answer came one play after when Nixon fired a perfect strike to Bryce Schmiesing, who out-sprinted the Kirtland secondary and took it to the house for a 63-yard touchdown.

But the Hornets closed the half on an eight-play, 72-yard drive, with Skiljan delivering the go-ahead 16-yard touchdown pass to Finkler 23 seconds before half.

After running back Evan Huelsman carted the ball into Kirtland territory on Minster's first drive of the second half, Nixon and Wolf did the rest - hooking up for a 22-yard touchdown.

Kirkland's running game took it all the way down to the Minster 10-yard line on the next series. Then Skiljan hit Evan Madden for a 10-yard touchdown - the Hornets first pass of the drive - to take the lead back. The drive went 73 yards and lasted over five minutes.

Kirtland forced a three-and-out for the second time of the game on Minster's next possession and then embarked on another long drive. Adam Hess sprinted to the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to put the Hornets up 35-27.

Huelsman scored his second touchdown of the game - a three-yard rush - less than two minutes later, but Nixon missed Wolf high on a two-point conversion for the tie.

That failed conversion, however, was forgotten about when Nixon and Wolf hooked up for the game-winner with 1:22 left.

"We went man-to-man, and their guy ran a crossing rout," Kirtland coach Tiger LeVerde said. "He broke a couple tackles and went down and scored."

Minster's junior quarterback passed for 418 yards. Three different Wildcat receivers went for more than 75 yards, including Schmiesing (seven catches for 150 yards) and Jacob Dues (five for 75).

Kirtland, led by Hess (39 carries for 163 yards) and Skiljan (19 for 112), amassed 368 yards on the ground. It is the second game this postseason Minster has given up more than 300 yards rushing and won.

"It was a fantastic football game," LaVerde said. "These guys played their hearts out. Both teams played their hearts out. The ball didn't bounce our way at the end, and we didn't get stops when we needed them."

Stokes admitted after last week's win over Tinora in the state semifinals that he didn't believe his team was capable of competing for a state title before the season began.

The second-year Minster coach still didn't believe it after Friday's win.

"We didn't belong here early on in the year," Stokes said. "This is the most improvement I've ever seen out of a team. The kids just really bought into getting better. We honestly didn't belong here. Our coaching staff doesn't belong here, our kids don't belong here ... but we're state champs somehow. It's awesome."

Maybe Minster was a team of destiny after all.

"Like I said, there's somebody up there looking after us," said Wolf, as Stokes lurked in the background yelling "big-time players." "The Mechanicsburg game by one point, the Tinora game by one point and then this one. It's crazy."

Score by quarter 1 2 3 4 Total

Minster 6 14 7 19 46

Kirtland 7 14 7 14 42

First Quarter:

KIR – Jacob Boyd 5 yd run (Jordan Ianiro kick), 9:40

MIN – Bryce Schmiesing 3 yd run (pass failed), 0:21

Second Quarter:

MIN – Eli Wolf 4 yd pass from Josh Nixon (Jason Schultz kick), 11:52

KIR – Matthew Finkler 48 yd pass from Sam Skiljan (Jordan Ianiro kick), 2:48

MIN – Bryce Scmiesing Josh 63 yd pass from Josh Nixon (Jason Schultz kick), 2:31

KIR – Matthew Finkler 16 yd pass from Sam Skiljan (Jordan Ianiro kick), 0:23

Third Quarter:

MIN – Eli Wolf 22 yd pass from Josh Nixon (Jason Schultz kick), 9:49

KIR – Evan Madden 10 yd pass from Sam Skiljan (Jordan Ianiro kick), 4:36

Fourth Quarter:

KIR – Adam Hess 9 yd run (Jordan Ianiro kick), 11:56

MIN – Evan Huelsman 3 yd run (pass failed), 10:20

KIR – Adam Hess 4 yd run (Jordan Ianiro kick), 4:18

MIN – Evan Huelsman 2 yd run (Jason Schultz kick), 1:56

MIN – Eli Wolf 51 yd pass from Josh Nixon (run failed), 1:22

Team statistics MIN KIR

First downs 23 26

Rushes - yards 19-54 66-338

Passing yards 418 149

Comp - att - int 26-41-2 6-14-0

Total offense 472 487

Punts - average 1-27.0 2-30.5

Fumbles - lost 0-0 2-2

Penalties - yards 2-30 5-42

Time of possession 17:43 30:17

Individual statistics

Rushing: Minster, Huelsman 9-37, Nixon 8-9, Schmiesing 2-8; Kirtland, Hess 39-163, Skiljan 20-109, Boyd 7-66

Passing: Minster, Nixon 26-41-2-418; Kirtland, Skiljan 6-13-0-149

Receiving: Minster, Wolf 9-146, Schmiesing 7-150, J Dues 5-75, Huelsman 2-21, Schultz 2-4, S Dues 1-22; Kirtland, Finkler 4-120, Madden 2-29

A Meaningful Title For The Minster Community

COLUMBUS — Austin Brackman was still on the minds of the Minster players and community members on the day of the Division VI state championship.

A tragedy occurred in the early morning hours of Nov. 29, just hours after Minster's win over Tinora in the Division VI regional semifinal. Brackman, a senior classmate and friend to several members on the team, was struck by a car and pronounced dead at the scene.

It was a difficult and emotional week for those in the community. As the Minster players and coaches stood in the middle of Ohio Stadium Friday night to accept their state championship trophy, Brackman was still on their minds. They had a sign on the field dedicated to Brackman.

Minster coach Geron Stokes talked about it after the game.

"We lost a kid (Saturday) at Minster," he said about Brackman, a state qualifier in golf this year who had just joined the bowling team. "These kids were all really close to him. He was a great kid in our community. These seniors were all close to him and they had to battle through that stuff this week and be there for each other. To come out and still sustain focus and do what they just did, our seniors deserve some credit.

"Our whole town and the school deserve some credit for their resiliency, their class and how they handle things."

"The Play"

People may remember "The Play" back in November of 1982 when the University of California Golden Bears returned a kickoff for a winning touchdown against rival Stanford Cardinal.

For people in Minster, "The Play" came on Dec. 5 in the Division VI state finals.

Eli Wolf ran across the middle of the field, brushed off a couple would-be tacklers who collided and sprinted down the sideline for the 51-yard game-winning touchdown to the roar of the Minster crowd.

"Bryce (Schmiesing) had a great block on the corner and it gave me just enough room to get outside," Wolf said. "We ran that (play) three or four times in that game, so they knew it was coming, but we just executed well."

"The Play" wouldn't have happened without "The Kick." After Evan Huelsman's two-yard TD run with 1:56 remaining, Jason Schultz dribbled an onside kick off the chest of a Kirtland player and recovered the ball.

"We practice that every Thursday," Stokes said. "We knew that on the turf that it was going to bounce, and it bounced perfect. Our kicker has done a great job all year. He kicks it, gets a perfect bounce off the kids' chest and we recover it somehow. It was perfect."

Best For Last

Quarterback Josh Nixon had moments of greatness throughout the playoffs.

He saved his best for last.

Nixon completed 26-of-41 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns in the win over Kirtland. In five playoff games, the junior signal caller threw for 1,455 yards (291 yards per game) and had 15 touchdowns compared with nine interceptions.

Party Like it's 1989

Minster has won a lot of state titles over the years, but prior to Friday, its only football title came in 1989.

In that season, the Wildcats defeated McDonald 16-7 to claim the small-school crown. Three current assistant coaches: Rod Frericks, Brian Wuebker and Bryon Albers, who spoke at the welcome home, all had played on that title team.

The state football championships returned this year to Columbus after a 25-year absence. Minster has now improved to 2-0 in state title games when held in Columbus.

REGULAR SEASON

Minster 34, Fort Loramie 0

The Wildcats routed the Redskins to open the season which began a stretch of seven straight games against playoff teams. Minster scored on five out of six possessions to start the contest. That type of offensive production was just a prelude of what was to come.

Minster 49, Lehman Catholic 28

For the second straight week, Minster defeated a team it had lost to in 2013. The 'Cats had four long touchdown drives of 81, 72, 58 and 76 yards as they built a 27-14 lead before lightning halted the game with 1:09 left in the second quarter. Minster had no problems finishing off the job when play resumed the next day.

Coldwater 28, Minster 17

A 32-yard field goal by Jason Schultz just before half cut the Coldwater lead to 14-10, but the Cavaliers set the tone in the final half to escape with the win.

Marion Local 56, Minster 28

Marion Local had given up just one touchdown entering the contest before Minster put four on the scoreboard. It didn't do much, though, as the defending state champ Flyers had their way against the Wildcat defense. Minster's defense, however, tightened up just in time for the playoff run.

Minster 34, Versailles 19

Minster bounced back after two tough losses. The Wildcats built a 20-0 lead and survived the rest of the way. It was the first of two meetings between the rivals.

Minster 34, Delphos St. John's 0

The win marked the first time since 1995 that the Wildcats had won a game on the road at Stadium Park. Although it was a monumental win for Minster, coach Geron Stokes didn't really care, saying "We don't care about the past. This is a new team, new kids. We're not pretty. We're not sharp. But our guys are working and trying to get better." That sort of attitude within the locker room led to a state berth later in the season.

Minster 28, Fort Recovery 23

In one of the most exciting games of the season, the Wildcats stopped Fort Recovery on a fourth-down play at the one-yard line to secure a win on Homecoming Night in Minster.

St. Henry 21, Minster 13

Fighting for their playoff lives, the Redskins held the Wildcats to their season low in points and held on for the win.

Minster 28, Anna 21

Another week and another close game for Minster - only this time, the Wildcats came out on top against a tough Anna team. The win clinched a spot in the playoffs for Minster. Quarterback Josh Nixon had four touchdowns in the game, including the game winner to Jacob Dues with :51 seconds remaining.

Minster 35, Parkway 15

The night was cold, wet and rainy but it didn't stop the Wildcats from scoring 30 plus points for the fifth time during the regular season. Running back Evan Huelsman totaled 142 yards on 30 carries and one touchdown.

Division VI State Playoffs

Regional Quarterfinal

Minster 42, Mechanicsburg 41 (Double Overtime)

Josh Nixon hit Eli Wolf for a six-yard TD in the second overtime and the Wildcat defense stopped Kaleb Romero's two-point conversion rush an inch shy of the goal line after the Indians scored to draw within a point.

Regional Semifinal

Minster 45, Versailles 19

The first matchup was slightly closer, but the Wildcats dominated from start to finish in this one. Nixon ran for two scores in the opening quarter to jump start a 45-7 run out of the gate.

Regional Final

Minster 35, West Liberty-Salem 0

It was supposed to be a battle. However, Minster didn't let it become one. Evan Huelsman ran wild for 195 yards and two touchdowns and Minster's defense dominated, holding the Tigers to 188 total yards of offense.

State Semifinal

Minster 14, Tinora 13

The Wildcats special teams came up big with a blocked extra point and a punt block, which led to the go-ahead score. The Minster sideline had to endure a moment of nervousness towards the end as Tinora lined up for a game-winning field goal attempt, but the kick went wide, and the Wildcats landed in their first state title game since 1989.

State Final

Minster 46, Kirtland 42

Minster rallied from nine down in the final five minutes, with Eli Wolf's 51-yard touchdown catch providing the game-winner. Kirtland, unbeaten and heavily favored, had only lost one game in its previous 60. It was the second week in a row the Wildcats defeated a previously unbeaten team.